When Russellville Mayor Bill Eaton gave an update regarding a proposed veteran’s home to the City Council during an agenda preparation meeting Tuesday, some aldermen questioned the city’s methods for submitting a proposal for the project.

Mayor Bill Eaton said a decision has not been made as to where a proposed $20 million veterans home facility will be located, but unofficial information from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) indicates the city’s proposed site at Sixth Street and Tyler Road is not “most desirable.”

Eaton said there was a possibility if the city could quickly come up with an alternate site proposal, that might be considered. He said he had spent time Tuesday looking at alternate sites with representatives from the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVAED), but a suitable alternate had not been located.

The basic requirements for the veterans home are 20 acres of level land near residential or light commercial development with utilities and proximity to interstate access. In addition, the land must be donated to the VA for development. The AVAED or city must own or purchase the land for the site and then give it to the VA for development, if Russellville is selected.

“It’s not as simple as you might think to find that 20-acre piece of property in the city limits that’s going to meet all the other criteria,” Eaton said.

Alderwoman Freddie Harris said she was “embarrassed for Russellville” that the Tyler Road site had been proposed and said there was plenty of property on the west side of town for such a development.

Alderman Randy Horton, who is the city’s representative on the AVAED board, said when the city received the request for proposals on the site, it was a “loose” idea that was not guaranteed to be funded.

“How could we propose any piece of property that we did not own? You can’t,” he said.

Alderman Martin Irwin said the Tyler Road property met all the requirements outlined by the VA. He also noted the committee tasked with choosing a site for the center allowed two cities to submit proposals late.

Alderman Mark Tripp said he and Harris voiced concerns about the proposal, but were ignored.

“We brought up this concern and we were silenced basically and we were told we didn’t know what we were talking about,” he said, later adding, “I just feel like we have not put our best foot forward.”

Harris said she did not think it was right for the council to be left out of the decisions that are instead being made by non-elected officials.

Eaton said he would be open to hear proposals for other potential locations for the facility in Russellville.

Finance committee approves appropriations

Russellville's Finance Committee approved several expenditures at its meeting Tuesday.

For special elections conducted in August and September, the committee approved $21,000. Last month's referendum election cost more than $17,600, committee chairman Randy Horton said.

Other expenditures approved include:

• $5,100 to purchase eight iPads, six of which are to upgrade existing units, for the Fire Department;

This is a perfect example of how our Mayor and City Council are incompetent. If they would spend half as much time trying to work out plausible details on the VA project that they spent coddling Walmart then Russellville perhaps would be a front runner for the project. This should be a wake up call that our so called City Leaders have their priorities in the wrong place. They are more focused on building a parking garage in downtown than brining high income jobs to the region. Oh wait a second thats right Walmart jobs will keep our community thriving.